Easel



EASEL Filed May 29, 1939 FIGJ.

INVEN TOR.

LEO L McKEOWN W WM ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 18 1941 UNITED STATES EASELLeo L. McKeowmToledo, Ohio, assignor to Geo. L. Kohne, Inc, Toledo,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 29, 1939, Serial No. 276,450

' 3 Claims. (01. 248-35) The invention relates to easel supportsdesigned for application to pictures, picture frames and similararticles. It is the object of the invention to obtain a constructionwhich is readily attachable to the article to be supported; which whennot in use will lie flat in parallelism with said article; and which inuse will be locked in rigid supporting relation thereto. To this end theinvention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved easel support in collapsedposition;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the support extended for use;

Figure 3 is a plan view indicated in full lines the collapsed positionand in dotted lines the open position;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

My improved easel support may be formed from any suitable sheetmaterial, but preferably heavy cardboard. The blank A is preferably cutto taper in an upward direction with parallel upper and lower edges Band C. A short distance below the upper edge the blank is provided withone or more scores D and D' to facilitate bending. From the center ofthe blank below these scores is cut a brace member E which has a wideportion E at the bottom tapering upwardly to a narrower neck E thenflaring outward to a wider portion E again tapering to a narrow portionE and again widening to a portion E Adjacent but slightly below thenarrow neck E are angle portions E having a dimension between themslightly greater than the restricted portion E This brace portion iscompletely severed from the remainder of the blank,

but when attached to the article to be supported is in its originalposition. The portion E below the narrow neck E is rigidly attached tothe back of the article to be supported by any suitable means, such asby one or more staples F or by the use of adhesive. Also, the portion ofthe main blank above the score D is secured to the back of the articleto be supported, in a similar manner by staples G. This permits theblank to lie flat against the back of the article to be supported. Toplace the device in condition for use the main blank A is moved outwardfrom its lower end leaving the brace member E in its original position.The brace member E is then drawn outward from its upper end bending atthe narrow neck E which bending is facilitated by a score E at thispoint extending transverse- I portion of said brace.

1y across the brace. 'When the upper end of the brace is sufficiently'lowered to register with the opening from which the portion E" has beenremoved, it will enter this opening after which the brace may be drawnupward to engage the restricted portion E with the notches E formed bythe removal of the angle portions E This will form an interlock andthere will be sufiicient resiliency in the brace member to press itupward and to maintain engagement with said notches. In this position ofthe parts the main portion of the blank forms an inclined supporting legwhich is held spaced from the back of the article to be supported and inrigid relation thereto.

Another and preferable method of placing the device in condition for useis to first pull outward the brace member from the aperture in theremainder of the blank. This is facilitated by cutting away the upperend of the brace member, as shown in Figure 1, thereby forming anaperture in which a finger or thumb may be inserted for engaging thenail with the upper edge of the remaining portion of said brace. Thebrace may then be drawn outward far enough so as to permit the remainderor leg portion of the blank to also be drawn out, the upper andintermediate portions' of the brace being movable through the apertureleft by the wider base Thus the narrow portion E may beregistered withthe notches E, whereupon the resiliency of the brace member will pressit upward into interlocking engagement therewith.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An easel support comprising a flat blank of resilient materialadapted to lie parallel to the back of the article to be supported withits upper end portion secured thereto, and a brace severed from thecentral portion of said blank having its lower end portion of greaterwidth than its upper end portion and the latter of greater width than anintermediate portion, said blank being scored for bending between saidlower and intermediate portions and said lower 4 end portions beingsecured to said back while said brace is in its original relation to theblank and parallel to said back, the upper end portion being bendabledownward along the scored line to be movable through the aperture formedby r the removal of the lower end portion and being notched forinterlocking engagement with the sides of the intermediate portion ofsaid aperture and held in such position by the resiliency of thematerial.

2. An easel support comprising a fiat blank of resilient materialadapted to lie parallel to the back of the article to be suported withits upper end portion secured thereto, and a brace severed from thecentral portion of said blank having its lower end portion of greaterWidth than its upper end portion and scored for bending adjacent theretoalso having an intermediate portion of lesser width than said upperportion fashioned to form notches in the opposite sides of the apertureformed when the brace is removed, said upper end portion of the bracebeing bendable downward along the scored line to be movable through thewide aperture formed in the blank I by the removal of the lower endportion of the brace and being notched in its opposite sides forinterlocking engagement with said notched sides of the aperture in theblank and held in such position by the resiliency of the material.

3. An easel support comprising a fiat blank of resilient materialadapted to lie parallel to the back of the article to be supported withits upper end portion secured thereto, and a brace severed from thecentral portion of said blank having its lower end portion of greaterwidth than its uper end portion and having an intermediate portion oflesser width than said upper portion fashioned to form notches in theopposite sides of the aperture formed when the brace is removed, saidupper end portion of the brace being partly cut away to leave an openingfor engaging a finger nail with the upper edge of the remaining portionso as to pull the same outward being also movable through the wideaperture formed in the blank by the removal of the lower end portion ofthe brace and being notched in its opposite sides in registration forinterlocking engagement with said notched sides of the aperture in theblank, said blank and also said brace being scored intermediate theattached and free portions thereof to facilitate bending downward andthe resiliency of the material of the brace pressing it upward intointerlocking engagement.

LEO L. NICKEOWN.

